Team from Swayne and Partners, in Bury St Edmunds, take on Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k at Trinity Park, in Ipswich for former colleague who is battling cancer
A group from a town vets got stuck in the 5k mud in support of a former colleague who is battling cancer.
The team of vets, nurses and staff from the Swayne & Partners practice, in Bury St Edmunds, took part in the Race for Life Pretty Muddy 5k at Trinity Park, in Ipswich, on Sunday, and have raised nearly £3,000 in the process.
The group of 14 nurses, nicknamed ‘The Fast and the Furriest’, took on the mud-filled obstacle course in honour of their friend Jess, 29, who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.
Jess received her diagnosis just a few months after losing her mum to the same disease, and prior to it had completed her own charity runs for St Nicholas Hospice Care and Cancer Research.
Ward manager Laura led the Swayne and Partners team into muddy battle. She said: “Jess worked at Swayne and Partners for two and a half years before moving on to a large animal and equine practice. She’s such an inspiration to our whole team.
“We wanted to do something meaningful to show our support not just for Jess, but to everyone affected by cancer.”
Despite the emotional and physical toll, Jess has remained determined and upbeat throughout her treatment while continuing to support others.
She is documenting her journey on social media with the aim of helping people in similar situations, as well as reminding people of the importance of checking for abnormalities.
The team’s fund-raising began ahead of the event, and they smashed their original target of £1,350.
“We’re blown away by the generosity of our clients, colleagues, and the wider community,” said Phoebe, another of the vets.
“We set a modest goal to begin with, but the support has been overwhelming.
“It just shows how many people have been touched by cancer and want to make a difference and it’s really motivating to us to see how much support our run has received.”
The team’s fund-raising page is still open for donations.
The team’s efforts were encouraged by Swayne and Partners’ parent company, Kin Vet Community.
Ciara McCormack, the company’s CEO, said: “People are the heart of Kin Vet Community – both the members of our amazing vet teams, and the local communities they serve.
“So, we are very proud of the ‘The Fast and the Furriest’ team from Swayne and Partners for the fund raising they are doing to support Jess and Cancer Research UK.”
